John's June Staff Picks

My June reading was tale of stark contrasts. Billie King and The Damned shook things up, bringing action, adventure, thrills and tonnes of heart, while the author of Hate To Love You turned a life watching and reading rom-coms into a sweet, funny romance novel of his very own. Then I switched gears altogether and ended up visiting two bleak island communities, an Irish one in The Elements and a Scottish one in John of John. Then Australian writer Glenn Orgias offered bleakness of a very Australian kind with Teeth Kicker.

If you’re looking for a book with a truck load of heart, a book that swaggers, a book that celebrates the strength, stamina and grit of women, then Billie King is your book. But strap yourself in, it’s one hell of a ride.

John of John might well be my book of the year. And not just because my name is repeated on the cover. It is a book seemingly carved from the golden age of twentieth century fiction. Meditative, unhurried, detailed, emotionally precise and deeply moving. An immersive experience.

Is John Boyne the most consistently brilliant, surprising and entertaining writer at work today? Surely he’s a contender. The Elements combines four novellas into one big narrative and takes hold of you and doesn’t let you go. I can’t wait for The Weight of Angels which is out in Sept.

The most urbane and charming man in the Australian book industry delivers on his promise to give us a delightful, intelligent and funny rom-com full of film and book references. Hate to Love You will be the romance hit of the summer.

Teeth Kicker is a pacy, raw, character driven crime novel with the heart of a Miles Franklin winner. If you loved Mr Inbetween and Two Hands, you're sure to find what you've been missing in Teeth Kicker.